chapter 5 Flashcards
infection prevention
set of methods practiced in facilities to prevent and control the spread of disease
microorganism(MO)/microbe
living thing that is so small it is only visible under a microscope
infections
occurs when pathogens invade the body and multiply
pathogens
harmful microorganisms
localized infection
infection that is limited to a specific location in the body
systemic infection
affects the entire body; travels through the bloodstream and spreads throughout the body, causes general sx
healthcare-associated infection (HAI)
an infection acquired in a healthcare setting during the delivery of medical care
chain of infection
way of describing how dz is transmitted from one human being to another
six links in chain of infection
causative agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, susceptible host – CRETES
causative agent
pathogenic microbe that causes dz (are everywhere)
reservoir
where pathogen lives and multiplies, can be human, animal, soil, or substance, lungs blood, large intestine
portal of exit
any body opening on an infected person that allows pathogens to leave, includes nose, mouth, eyes, cuts, GI (saliva, feces/vomit), GU (urine, semen, vaginal secretions), skin (cuts, blood, pus drainage)
mode of transmission
describes how the pathogen travels
direct contact
happens by touching the infected person or his secretions
indirect contact
results from touching an object contaminated by infected person (needle, dressing, tissue, linens), esp hands
portal of entry
body opening on an uninfected person that allows pathogens to enter (nose, mouth, eyes, cuts, cracked skin, mucous membranes like mouth, nose, eyes, rectum, genitals)
suspectible host
uninfected person who would become ill
transmission
passage or transfer of most infectious dz can be blocked by using proper infection prevention practices
medical asepsis
refers to measures used to reduce and prevent the spread of pathogens, used in all healthcare settings
surgical asepsis
aka sterile technique, makes an object or area completely free of all microbes (not just pathogens)
malnutrition
when a person is not getting the proper nutrition
dehydration
occurs when there is inadequate amt of fluid in the body
OSHA
occupational safety and health administration, federal govt agency that makes rules to protect workers from hazards on the job
CDC
center for disease control and prevention, fed govt agency that issues guidelines to protect and improve health of individuals and communities
standard precautions
means treating blood, body fluids, nonintact skin (like abrasions, pimples, open sores) and mm as if they were infected , must be practiced with every single person
single most common way for HAIs to spread is through
hands of healthcare workers, and so handwashing is the most important thing NAs can do to prevent the spread of dz
antimicrobial
agent that destroys, resists, or prevents the development of pathogens
hand hygiene
washing hands with either plain or antiseptic soap and water or using alcohol based hand rubs
PPE
equipment that helps protect employees from serious workplace injuries or illnesses resulting from contact with workplace hazards
don
to wear PPE
doff
to remove PPE
clean
when an object has not been contaminated with pathogens
dirty
when object has been contaminated w/ pathogens
disinfection
process that kills pathogens but does not destroy all pathogens
sterilization
cleaning measure that destroys all microbes and pathogens, can use autoclave, liquid/gas chemicals, or dry heat
spore-forming microbes
special group of organisms that produce a protective covering that is difficult to penetrate
autoclave
machine that sterilizes objects by using hot steam under pressure
transmission based precautions
guidelines used for persons who are infected or may be infected with certain infectious diseases
3 categories of transmission based precautions
airborne, droplet, and contact
multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs)
microorganisms (mostly bacteria) that are resistant to one or more antimicrobial agents that are commonly used for tx such as MRSA and VRE (vancomycin resistant enterococcus), C. diff, scabies, lice, influenza
airborne precautions
prevent spread of pathogens that can be transmitted through air after being expelled, precautions include wearing special masks
droplet precautions
used for diseases that are spread by droplets in the air, such as when laughing singing sneezing, precautions include wearing a face masks and restricting visits
contact precautions
used when resident is at risk of spreading an infection by direct contact with a person or object
isolate
to keep something separate/by itself
bloodborne pathogens
microorganisms found in human blood that can cause infection and dz in humans, may also be found in body fluids, draining wounds, and mucous membranes
two major bloodborne diseases in US
AIDS and HIV, (HIV can cause AIDS)
hepatitis
inflammation of liver caused by certain viruses, and other factors (ETOH abuse, meds, trauma), most common is A, B, C, (B+C are bloodborne), more ppl have Hep B>HIV
virus causing hepatitis A (HAV)
result of fecal-oral contamination, food or water that is contaminated by stool
hep B (HBV)
bloodborne dz spread through sexual contact, sharing infected needles, from mom to baby, or through improperly sterilized needles, grooming supplies, or exposure at work
hep C (HCV)
also transmitted through blood or body fluids, no vaccine, can lead to cirrhosis and liver ca
HDV/HEV
HDV through blood, only found in ppl who carry HBV, and HEV is through fecal oral route
bloodborne pathogens standard
law that requires that facilities protect employees from bloodborne health hazards
exposure control plan
must have by employers designed to eliminate or reduce employee exposure to infectious materials
TB
tuberculosis; highly contagious dz caused by a bacterium, carried on mucous droplets suspected in the air and affects the lung, is an airborne dz
two types of TB
latent TB infection (LTBI) and TB disease; LTBI carries the dz but does not show sx and cannot infect others, TB dz shows sx and can spread T to others
multidrug resistant TB (MDR-T)
form of T that is caused by organism that is resistant to medication that issued to treat T
resistant
means that drugs no longer work to kill the specific bacteria
2 common types of MDROs
MRSA/VRE
MRSA
infection that is resistant to methicillin, when staph. aureus becomes resistant to methicillin, can be hospital acquired (HA-MRSA) or community acquired (CA-MRSA) , almost always spread by direct phys contact
VRE
when enteroccci (bac that live in GI/GU tracts) cause infection and are resistant to vanc which is usually used to treat infections
C. diff
infection when a spore forming bacterium which can be part of normal intestinal flora is altered, and cause infection, which produces a toxin that causes watery diarrhea
